Rare Earthquake Recorded In Wisconsin

For the first time in more than a decade, geologists recorded a small earthquake near Crandon on Sunday.

The U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, recorded a 2.5 magnitude earthquake around 2.5 miles northeast of Mole Lake at 7:05 a.m. on Sunday.

The Forest County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post that authorities received multiple calls about “abnormally excessive” shaking.

At least 117 people say they felt the quake as of Monday morning.

Earthquakes in Wisconsin are rare and typically result from incidents occurring in other nearby states like Illinois.

The last time the agency recorded minor shaking was when a 1.2 magnitude earthquake took place in Clintonville in 2012, according to CNN. The media outlet reported that USGS believed it stemmed from a “swarm” of several small earthquakes.

The largest earthquake recorded in Wisconsin reverberated in a 3,000 sq. mile area of southeastern Wisconsin in 1947, according to USGS.

The incident rattled windows and shook buildings, causing some Milwaukee residents to fear there had been an explosion. No injuries were reported and only minor damage occurred with reports of broken windows in Kenosha. People felt the earthquake across a 100-mile-wide strip along the shore of Lake Michigan, extending from Sheboygan to the Wisconsin-Illinois border.

Small earthquake recorded Sunday near Crandon is Wisconsin’s first in 11 years was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.